Month: October 2024

leadership dot #4426: billions

October 31, 2024October 30, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Author Seth Godin used Halloween to illustrate the challenges with focus groups: “We’re thinking of having a holiday every year where kids of all ages go door to door unescorted and beg for candy, and adults dress up in expensive and revealing costumes and get drunk. Would you be likely to participate?”

Yet, somehow this crazy idea has caught on and is growing every year. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are spending 32% more on the holiday than just ten years ago. This year, a staggering $11.6 billion will be spent on costumes ($3.8B), decorations ($3.8B), candy ($3.5B), and cards ($0.5B). ($500,000,000 worth of cards??)

Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore. Halloween isn’t a minor holiday anymore. Implausible or not, Halloween (and the adjacent Day of the Dead) has become a mainstream event. Your organization should leverage the treats a holiday-themed messaging strategy can provide. Don’t be tricked into thinking Halloween is no big deal.

TJMaxx had an entire collection of Halloween purses (the adult trick-or-treat bag??) — something you would not have seen in the past.

leadership dot #4425: logistics

October 30, 2024October 29, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I read a fascinating story about the Olympics and the challenges involved in getting the necessary equipment to the Games. Athletes must manage the logistics for transporting horses, boats, swords, bikes, and all they need to compete. We watch the Games and take for granted that things will be there, but a masterful operation exists for that to happen.

The same thought occurred to me when I was at the airport. Most people don’t think about the behind-the-scenes for items to be made, packaged, or delivered — let alone stocked in the concourses. It’s not like a semi can pull up to the restaurant and drop off its goods. Instead, an intricate supply chain mostly occurs out of view to ensure that eateries and businesses have the products to sell.

Stop for a moment to consider what had to happen for you to be doing what you are doing now. The research and development, manufacturing, promotion, delivery network, sales, user guides, and support. It can give you perspective to realize how your work is part of a larger system and help you consider all the steps that must intertwine successfully.

Nothing “just happens.” The more you understand all the parts, the more you are able to influence them.

leadership dot #4424: bad timing

October 29, 2024October 29, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Timing has so much to do with whether a change will be accepted or resisted.

Last week, owner Jeff Bezos told the Washington Post not to publish their endorsement of Kamala Harris. The endorsement of Harris would have hardly made a ripple but the non-endorsement has caused an uproar, with hundreds of thousands canceling either their Post subscription, Amazon Prime, or both. This is partly because of Harris advocates inferring that it’s an endorsement of the other guy, while others are (rightfully) livid that an owner practiced journalistic interference.

But I’ll bet that had The Post said it was pursuing a “no-endorsement” policy a year ago or even at the beginning of the campaign, no one would have batted an eye. The policy itself isn’t the problem; it’s that the owner made it, and laid down the law with 11 days to go in a contentious election.

If you’re even remotely thinking about making a change or policy that will be unpopular, your best bet is to do it as far from the date it will be enacted as possible. Time offers a buffer that no silver-tongued justification can.

leadership dot #4423: accelerate

October 28, 2024October 27, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A friend sold his truck and gave an owner’s overview to the buyer, who was about to take it on a long solo journey. “Watch out with this one,” he said. “You’ll be going 90 before you know it and nodding off for a second at 65 is a lot different than nodding off at 90.”

It’s good advice not only for this truck but also as a personal philosophy. If you’re pushing the limits in your schedule or daily routines, there is little room for even a small setback. A minor hiccup can cause far more trouble when you’re driving (yourself) at maximum speed than when you’re operating at a normal pace.

Even though you can accelerate to warp speed, it’s best to stick to a reasonable limit — in both your vehicle and your life.

leadership dot #4422: organizer

October 27, 2024October 26, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Shirley Chisholm broke barriers by running for Congress, but Baryard Rustin trailblazed behind the scenes. Rustin, the focus of a movie bearing his name, was the organizer of the March on Washington in 1963. It was his premise that the Civil Rights Movement needed to do something dramatic to hold the legislature accountable for passing civil rights legislation — and it also needed to help the Blacks discover they were not alone in their struggle. Rustin believed a peaceful march on the National Mall could accomplish both goals.

Think about the challenge of organizing a national event — before the internet or social media — to bring 100,000 people from across the country to Washington, D.C. — and raise the funds to do so — and pull all this off without the initial support of the NAACP. And this needed to happen in an 8-week window before Congress resumed!

Rustin accomplished what he called “the most improbable yet most essential endeavor” by being a master organizer, volunteer motivator, passionate advocate, and exemplary communicator. For example, all possible providers of transportation were told to call “Michelle Harwood.” There was no Michelle, but it signaled that the call was about transportation and could be immediately transferred to volunteers in that area. Rustin was right there in the trenches with his volunteers, including picking up trash after the event, and setting the example that “the details matter.”

Even though most people thought the goal of 100,000 was an impossible stretch, 250,000 actually attended. Nine months later, the Civil Rights Act was passed. Fifty years after the March, Rustin was awarded a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work.

Everyone associates Martin Luther King, Jr. with the March on Washington, but the event would have never happened without Bayard Rustin. Follow his example and make your mark organizing the platform for others.

leadership dot #4421: trailblazer

October 26, 2024October 25, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I watched the movie Shirley, a documentary about Shirley Chisholm’s foray into politics and her audacious run to be president of the United States in 1972. Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to the US Congress. At the time (1968), there were only 11 women in the chambers and 5 Black members. Think of the fortitude required for her to step up and attempt to run for any seat. I’m sure the pushback she endured was horrendous.

But Shirley’s endurance paved the way for others to see themselves as elected officials. Today, there are 126 women in the House, and 25 in the US Senate, comprising 28% of the total, with 57 identifying as non-White (37%).

It’s hard to imagine yourself in a position that no one like you has had before, but if you persist you may personally benefit in addition to breaking down barriers for others. Where are you brave enough to be a trailblazer?

leadership dot #4420: 3-D synergy

October 25, 2024October 24, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Today’s dot is a type of 3-D Venn — highlighting a shape that is not solely a circle, triangle, or square, but one that fits in all three spaces. It makes sense when you see it in action in this one-minute video here. (Leadership dots’ first vlog!)

This wooden block and the accompanying piece illustrate what happens when three distinct components create synergy. The piece doesn’t fill 100% of the different shapes, but it comes close, just as a shared solution may not be 100% what you wanted, but the combined resolution can meet the needs of all three parties.

We often dismiss the “other” [point of view, option, alternative plan] because we think it means giving up what we value. Or, we strain our resources by adding multiples instead of working toward a synergistic solution. The wooden block shows that you can hold on to your “shape” and embrace seemingly diverse ones, and end up with one solution that fits everyone.

Thanks, Mike!

leadership dot #4419: new leaders

October 24, 2024October 23, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

New leaders (or even those new to a different leadership position) are often overwhelmed with all the responsibilities and obligations facing them in the early stages. To be successful, I encourage them to work to align these three areas as soon as possible in their tenure:

PRIORITIES: You will always have more ideas than time. Be clear about what the essential work is (in your mind as well as in your boss’s) and take steps to accomplish those tasks before taking on other projects. You must determine early on what you should say “no” to.

TIME: Take control of your calendar before others fill it for you. As soon as you can, block out time for strategy/thinking, to work on projects, for vacations, and even breathing room between meetings. Make sure your calendar has time to work on your priorities.

INFRASTRUCTURE: Do you have the right staff? Space? Budget? Access to meetings? Equipment/software? Information you need? Ensure that you have the infrastructure necessary to accomplish your responsibilities and take steps to align your resources and systems so that you are able to do the work.

Like all good Venn diagrams, these three components are interrelated but can provide a framework for where new leaders should align their energies during the early days in order to achieve success.

Thanks, Meg!

leadership dot #4418: DAC

October 23, 2024October 22, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The Center for Creative Leadership has been studying leadership for half a century and recently distilled its learnings into a model that defines the process in terms of outcomes.

The Center defines a leader as the person who helps create leadership, and leadership as “a social process that enables individuals to work together as a cohesive group to produce collective results.” I like the acknowledgment that others play such a central role.

Their DAC Model outlines the three crucial outcomes necessary for leadership to occur, and, as you may have guessed during Venn Diagram Week, they are displayed in that format.

D represents Direction, the agreement of the group on the overall goals or mission
A stands for Alignment, the coordination and organization of efforts and knowledge to achieve the Direction
C is Commitment, to the group itself — committed to being responsible for the group as a whole, not just your own personal interest; going beyond individual interests to achieve the goal

The Center found that Alignment posed the most challenges in organizations, which made me think of yesterday’s dot (#4417) outlining where alignment challenges occur. Interactions and ambiguity often test alignment, both internally and externally, and may be a place for you to start.

Think about what you intentionally do as a leader to achieve leadership and let the DAC Model be your guide.

leadership dot #4417: conflict resolution

October 22, 2024October 21, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Leadership Dots’ “Venn Diagram Week” came about because I was doing some purging and found my master’s thesis: Conflict and Its Resolution: A Study of Student Programming Organizations. The premise of this academic masterpiece is that people in student organizations experience conflict when one of three conditions is present: role conflict, interdependence, or scarce resources. If multiple conditions exist, greater conflict occurs.

This was written 40 years ago (gulp!) about student groups but the same theory remains applicable to all groups today. If there is confusion as to who is responsible for what, if there are overlapping responsibilities, or if resources (funds, time, space, tools) are scarce, there will be conflict. It’s a pretty straightforward premise that few would argue with, yet we have people in all types of organizations who have no job descriptions, received little onboarding, or know nothing of their resource parameters.

Let something valuable come from this study before the typewriter ink on the pages fades away. Commit to doing one thing to help your team gain some clarity in one of the three areas. Just knowing “what is” can go a long way toward preventing a time-wasting clash of expectations.